A single moment has the power to alter your destiny. For Lela Rose that was the moment she fell in love.

As a young girl Lela’s mother would tell her stories of adventure and bravery. But, out of all of the stories Lela’s favourites were the ones of true love. Night after night, Lela would beg her mother for another tale of true love. Eventually, Lela’s mother would let out a huge sigh and give into her daughter’s wishes.

Later, as Lela grew older, her mother had stopped visiting her with bedtime stories at night, so Lela thought up her own. She imagined tall handsome knights and heroes of great strength, rescuing a damsel in distress. And, as you can imagine Lela was the damsel, or so she thought. The truth was everything Lela imagined would most likely never happen to her, because Lela’s full name was Princess Lela Rose.

The Golden Kingdom was a beautiful sight to behold, full of golden buttercups, vibrant tulips and pastel blue forget me nots. The kingdom stood on thousands of acres of emerald green grass and the finest soil for miles around. There had never been a day when the kingdom didn’t flourish. The townspeople lived in wooden houses with plenty of fresh fruit, tasty vegetables and crusty bread to eat.

King Leonardo was the finest king to ever rule the Golden Kingdom. He would never expect his people to live in filth, without the finest food to fill their bellies. He was a just king and the people loved him for it. However, his father was somewhat of a tyrant. He had never cared about his people or his family, for that matter. King Leonardo remembered how his father used to threaten his people to get what he wanted. Even as a child, before Leonardo became king he made a promise to himself that he would never be anything like his father, and he would always do his best in every situation that he was faced with.

King Leonardo had always been proud of his daughter. After thirteen years of trying for another child, the king was surprised to learn that his queen – Tianna, was with child again. Lela was overjoyed by the sudden news of a brother or sister. The entire kingdom rejoiced in the news of the birth of a prince or princess. The celebrations continued throughout the queen’s pregnancy. Until, the day came when Princess Arianne was born. Drinking, dancing and merry making spread throughout the kingdom. Yellow lights shone into the sky like beams of gold.

A few days later a great banquet was held in honour of the new princess. The townspeople flocked into the castle, grouped together and led into the main hall, where the merrymaking commenced. They ate, they danced and laughed. Until, the king arrived on the balcony above them. His hair was thick and dark, like the waters waves at midnight. A small amount of facial hair framed his mouth. He wore a pearl white shirt and black leather pants, with a wide gold cloak that trailed on the ground behind him. The black boots that crept up his lower legs made him look taller than he actually was.

Walking slow and regal, the queen stood alongside of him. All of the kingdom’s eyes were on the queen’s midnight blue dress, with silver patterns that lined her waist, wrists and neckline. Her hair was long and golden, like the buttercups that grew all over the kingdom. Her olive skin was the face of youth, and her eyes sparkled like pools of clear blue water. Every step that she took was in perfect stride, as she moved like a cloud floating in the sky, naturally elegant. In her arms lay the new born princess wrapped inside a soft pink blanket, embellished with gold.

As the king and queen parted Lela stood between them. The people’s faces lit up in the crowds below, as she became more beautiful with every year that passed. Lela’s skin was porcelain perfection. She wore a pale blue dress that brought out the colour in her blue-green eyes. Her hair was the same golden blond as her mothers, and her frame was small and petite. She was soon to be fourteen years old, and it wouldn’t be long until she would come of age.

Lela held a bulging leather pouch between her fingers. The pouch was heavy, as Lela struggled to lift it up. Nearing the edge of the balcony Lela pulled back the drawstring on the pouch, as hundreds of gold coins showered the people below. Reaching out their arms as they thrust their bodies into the air, the people welcomed their gift. The king smiled as he reached for his daughter’s hand, leading her to stand by the throne with him and the queen. Before they sat, King Leonardo had an announcement to make.

“Welcome, I hope you have enjoyed the festivities so far. As you well know your queen gave birth to a beautiful girl. Behold Princess Arianne,” the king announced as he held his daughter high above his head, showing off one of his most prized possessions. The people cheered at their new princess. Placing the young princess back into her mother’s arms, the king continued with his speech.

“Now, I have another announcement,” the king teased, pulling his eldest daughter beside him.

“Your princess Lela is soon to become fourteen, and in as little as two years she will come of age. Until she does, I plan to hold a masque ball in her honour for the next three years.” Lela smiled in excitement, moving closer to her father to kiss his cheek. The people were just as excited as Lela, as they continued to cheer, even after the music started. Lela knelt beside her father for the rest of the night. She longed to come of age and meet her true love, ever since her mother had told her stories as a child. She knew that she could never settle for anything less. The only man she would ever marry would be her true love, or she’d end up a spinster and never marry at all. The joy commenced throughout the night, until the night was at its darkest point.

Outside of the kingdom, dwelling in the darkness were the things of nightmares. Creatures waited on the outskirts of the dark forest for their day to come. As beams of golden light shot into the sky, the creature’s moth-like wings fluttered beneath their arms and their bone like bodies swayed towards the light. Glancing towards the Golden Kingdom, their blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness, before they vanished out of sight.

Bio

I have been writing since childhood, taking a break during my early teen years, and continuing from the age of nineteen. I have had work published into The Wakefield Express, Take a Breaks Fate and Fortune and I have worked as a writer for the Wakefield Literature Festival's - Word Walk. I've also had my poems published into anthologies by United Press and Forward Poetry. I mainly write fiction and poetry, although I do enjoy writing articles and reviews.
I began by writing horror stories, and then decided to try other genres such as: historical romance, comedy, sci-fi and young adult fantasy.
I have five self-published books so far titled: Arabella, Thirteen: The Horror Collection, Silver City, Poems For All Occasions and Mina Harker: The Curse of the Vampire.